On November 2, the Make a Wish Foundation held its 25th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball. The star-studded event welcomed 850 guests and raised $3 million to help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The gala was headlined by Grammy Award-winning rock legend Steven Tyler and Nashville born Loving Mary Band. Actress, filmmaker, and Ambassador for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, Gabrielle Anwar, returned as celebrity emcee for her 9th year.
Robert Hall, General Manager of the Intercontinental and Ball Founder, hosted the gala. Restauranteur and philanthropist Shareef Malnik, returned as Ball Chairman for which he has been doing for 15 years. The Ball is the highest-grossing fundraising event for the Southern Florida Chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation, and both welcomed guests alongside Norman Wedderburn, President, and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.
Guests included Al and Nancy Malnik, Lifetime Benefactors of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, singer-songwriter Alisan Porter, supermodel Karolina Kurkova, director Michael Bay, Model Brittny Gastineau, Lisa Gastineau, Lisa Hochstein, DJ Irie, singer Yoli Mayor, actress Dania Ramirez, actor Steven Bauer, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto M. Carvalho and wife Maria Carvalho.
This year’s theme was “Masterpiece XXV,” which featured a creative interpretation of Game of Thrones; to guest’s delight, an iron throne version of the chair was on display. Guests experienced a journey in a fantastical realm of the cultural arts broken down into ten noble houses: House Queen and House Ziggy Stardust (music); House Valentino and House Westwood (fashion); House Casablanca and House Fellini (film); House Fosse and House Ailey (dance); and House Basquiat and House Carvaggio (art).
Following the main gala event, the foundation hosted the annual Make a Wish NightClub, which invites the next generation of contributors and Miami’s premier influencers in the fashion, arts, music and nightlife industries. The Intercontinental transformed into the hottest club in town sponsored by E11EVEN Miami. The party featured a performance by rapper T-Pain and a fashion show by Saks Fifth Avenue Brickell Centre. An open bar ensured that drinks were flowing, and an eclectic mix of tunes by DJ Affect kept people dancing.
The evening ended having raised millions of dollars while inspiring future contributions. Since its origins 24 years ago, the Miami Make-A-Wish Ball has raised nearly $26 million, granting the wishes of more than 5,200 children from South Florida. For more information about the Make-a-Wish Foundation visit https://sfla.wish.org/
